Fashion proved to be Justin Floyd’s downfall.

In a taped episode of the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" that aired Friday, the Gainesville native slipped up on the $4,000 question.

Asked what it means if a fabric is "diaphanous," Floyd chose the word "pleated." The correct answer was "see-through."

That stumble cost Floyd, sending him home with just $1,000 in winnings. But at least he appeared to be having a good time during his short tenure in the "hot seat."

"Millionaire" host Meredith Vieira started off by noting that Floyd finished school (North Hall High) early, and at age 21 is a senior at Columbia University in New York.

"You are a smart guy!" she told him.

Floyd admitted to being a "nerd," but not a "geek," and went on to explain the difference. He said when he started off majoring in chemistry at Georgia Tech, he realized he wasn’t the kind of person who likes to blow things up in a laboratory.

"I’m more of a bookworm," he said.

Floyd then proceeded to zip through the first round of
questions, barely hesitating with his answers. In fact, several times he rolled his eyes because the questions were so easy.

Which cartoon character grew up at Daisy Hill Puppy Farm? It had to be Snoopy.

Which president was nicknamed "Ike"? Floyd, now a history major, had no doubt it was Eisenhower.

Where would you find the towns of Limerick and Dublin? Floyd, who spent a year studying at Oxford University in England, knew the answer was Ireland.

After Floyd reached the $1,000 mark, he took the opportunity to give a shout-out to his grandparents, Dorothy and Lawrence Floyd of Gainesville, saying it was a "blessing" to have been raised by them.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t blessed with riches during his stint on the game show. But Floyd still appears to have a bright future ahead of him. After finishing his degree at Columbia this spring, he’ll be heading back to Oxford for postgraduate work.

And if he was disappointed at all with his performance on "Millionaire," Floyd has long since gotten over it. The episode was taped way back in October. By now, it’s ancient history.